GFF’s Assistant TD welcomes return of futsal

…says year-end tournament good for scouting

The Assistant Technical Director of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Bryan Joseph, figures that the ongoing Futsal tournament is one that would do well for the format and the Federation, especially when it comes to scouting players.

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Kashif and Shanghai (K&S) Organization have put on a blistering futsal tournament this year-end, and aside from the entertainment it presents, there is much benefit that can accrue to the local Federation.
Assistant Technical Director Bryan Joseph was on hand at the ongoing tournament, to take a technical view of the games; and during an exclusive chat with this publication, shared his elation at the resurgence of the format.
“So far it’s been good. I think understanding where we’re coming from, the fact that we haven’t been playing for a long time, it is understandable that the teams wouldn’t be at the level that we would like them to be; but we’re just beginning,” Joseph shared.
“A lot of the bigger teams haven’t played as yet, and as the tournament progresses into the latter stages, I think you’re going to see improvements across the board,” he has predicted.
The Assistant TD has revealed that, with an international engagement coming up, the 32 teams and their players on show would come in handy in terms of scouting.
“For us, mass participation is so important in order to grow the pool for us to select our national teams. Come 2022, we’ve entered to participate in a Futsal international tournament. So, this would serve as a good ground to identify players who would transition into that Futsal team,” he explained.
Joseph has noted that the handful of young teams that are currently participating makes for good growth of Futsal.
“It’s good for futsal. The one thing that we like about futsal is that it doesn’t require the entire club structure that is required for 11 v 11 football. So, communities are able to put together teams, groups are able to put together teams.”
He continued by stating, “It’s good that we’re having so much participation. Going forward, I think once this tournament is completed and we get into the 2022 calendar, we’re going to see much more opportunities for Futsal across the country, and we want to see small teams popping up in all areas.”
When it comes to the Federation’s position at the moment, the Assistant Technical Director shared that assessment and planning is the route they would take.
“At the moment, it’s just us being able to assess. I don’t think that there’s a lot that we can take away, especially now in the early stages, because a lot of the teams are playing similar to how they would play 11 v 11 football,” Joseph highlighted. “So, it’s for us now to just make an assessment of what is going on, because in order for us to internationally play futsal, we need to change a lot.”
He added, “We need coaches to be educated on how futsal is played. We need the referees to be educated, and we need the public to be educated in the laws and the rules of the game.
“As we go forward in 2022, we’ll be able to make a good summary of where we are, and develop the programmes to help us to compete at the international level.”
With a break scheduled for this Saturday, Christmas Day, the futsal action will return to the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall next Tuesday. (Jemima Holmes)